The Art of Slow Living

It sounds paradoxical to say but at Breakthrough we believe that you have to slow down to speed up. Amid the constant churn of today’s world, we often find ourselves caught in a cycle of trying to do more with less time. Constantly accelerating to keep up with the demands of work and life. However, maintaining this relentless pace isn't sustainable. 

Although we have been conditioned to equate increased speed with efficiency and success, this approach can actually be very counterproductive. In today’s hustle culture, it feels like we have less and less time to do anything, making a balanced life seem out of reach. As a result, many of us think that multitasking and juggling everything at once is the only way to approach our daily tasks and obligations. However, this can have debilitating consequences, not only for your work life but also for your well-being. Embracing the concept of slow living can help you find balance and boost productivity.

The Problem: The Hamster Wheel of Life

Many of us find ourselves stuck on the metaphorical hamster wheel, spinning faster and faster without actually making sustainable progress. In the pursuit of success, we get caught in the motions of our daily routines, spinning towards an unspecified but highly desired goal, unable to change direction. This constant state of busyness is often the result of uninformed, unintentional and the unconscious choice of individuals still with the belief that busyness equals success. 

At Breakthrough, we are constantly sharing our practical tips on managing this with our clients. Providing the space and Breakthrough Tools to help them examine their beliefs around time, prioritisation and personal resources.  When you're perpetually busy, it's challenging to even recognise the problems you need to solve, let alone find effective solutions. We emphasise the importance of optimising the quality of your work and life, rather than optimising for “more”. Consider what kind of leader you want to be and make the empowered choice to prioritise intentional, quality-driven actions over sheer quantity.

To start examining how we can break free from this cycle, it is important to engage in some self reflection. Here are a few questions to ponder and journal: 

1. What drives my need to move so fast? 
2. Why do I equate being busy with being successful? Make note of the underlying factors fuelling this mindset and behaviour.
3. How can I slow down? Consider what you have in your locus of control. 

In this blog post, learn what 1 degree shifts that our CEO, Zannah Ryabchuk, recommends for those of us who want to be more intentional with our time. Here are three practical tips to help you slow down and, paradoxically, speed up your success:

Tip 1: Review Your Schedule

Start by taking a closer look at your calendar and identify all the wasteful meetings currently scheduled. Many of us spend hundreds of hours each year sitting in meetings that are unnecessary, lack a clear outcome, or are simply too long. Really interrogate all of your meetings. Ask if you really need to attend; if the meeting’s outcome is clear and if you need to be present for the entire duration. You might find many meetings can be shortened, or eliminated altogether. Most importantly, you will find yourself more present and clear on your contribution.

Tip 2: Build a Support Group

Research shows that building new habits and breaking old ones is much more successful when you have support. Share your intention to slow down with your team, manager, family and friends. Declare your need for a more balanced pace in life and ask for their support. This network will help you maintain your commitment to slower living and you can leverage them for moments of encouragement and celebration.  

Tip 3: Create Whitespace

And thirdly, creating some whitespace. Once you’ve cleared out your unnecessary meetings, you’ll find some free time in your schedule. Block out this time as whitespace, even if it's just 15 minutes a week. In this whitespace, there is no agenda or outcome needed. Just clear unstructured space to think and recharge. Many successful leaders make whitespace a regular part of their weekly schedule and we strongly recommend you do the same. 

Conclusion 

So remember, sometimes you need to slow down to speed up. And it's not about the fact that we have to do more and more and more and work harder and harder in order to be successful. Time is our most precious finite resource. Once it's gone, we can't get it back. So make sure that you use it wisely, and you protect your resources. 

Remember, there is an art to slow living. Sometimes slowing down can actually help to improve efficiency, and even organisational and personal success. It’s not about doing more and overworking yourself, but about taking your time seriously and protecting your personal resources. Time truly is our most precious and finite resource: once it’s gone, we cannot get it back. So make sure to use it wisely. 

Watch our Insight Short on the Art of Slow Living and learn as our CEO, Zannah Ryabchuck dives deeper into our 3 practical tips to being intentional about our time whilst stuck on the hamster wheel of life.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Slow Living. Share your experience with us at #mybreakthrough on LinkedIn or leave a comment on our Art of Slow Living YouTube video. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for our next Insight Short where we’ll be sharing more Breakthrough tips and expert advice.